In spite of this huge loss (pun intended), the Musketeers should win the A-10 again and be an interesting team to watch come tourney time.

No.14: Wisconsin

12 of 25

Who will be Jordan Taylor's "Robin?"

Jordan Taylor is definitely the Badgers' "Batman."

Taylor is one of the best point guards in the country.

He controls the game as well as anyone by both scoring (18.1 ppg) and distributing the ball (4.7 apg).

With Jon Leuer graduated, top 100 recruit 6'8" PF Jarrod Uthoff may be the best complement to Jordan's exceptional game.

13. Kansas

13 of 25

How good is Thomas Robinson?

We are about to find out. With the Morris twins both leaving for the NBA, Robinson moves into the featured front court role.

The 6'9", 237-pound PF has the skills and strength to be the next standout inside player in Bill Self's lineup.

Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, Robinson is going to have to do most of the heavy lifting down low.

No one else who returns for Kansas averaged as much as two rebounds per game. Ouch!

No. 12: Baylor

14 of 25

Can A.J. Walton effectively get the ball in Perry Jones and Quincy Miller's hands?

The Baylor Bears have the best front court in the Big 12. One of the best in the nation.

Perry Jones is a multi-skilled 6'11" forward that was under-utilized last year.

Freshman forward Quincy Miller is another can't-miss player that could help the Bears challenge for the Big 12 title.

But head coach Scott Drew needs A.J. Walton, his point guard, to get Jones and Miller the ball where they can do the most damage.

Walton, at times last year, played tentatively and looked confused.

If Baylor is to make a deep run in March—which they are fully capable of doing—Walton must emerge as a competent floor general.

No. 11: Pittsburgh

15 of 25

Will Ashton Gibbs take another step forward?

Each of his three years at Pitt, Gibbs has made a big step forward.

Last year, he went from being an good outside shooter to become one of the best in the nation, hitting on 49 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and 89 percent from the line.

Even if he just maintained those levels of accuracy, the Panthers would be in good shape.

It will be interesting to watch what part of his game will take a leap forward this season.

10. Florida

16 of 25

Will Billy Donovan play four guards in the same lineup?

The better question might be, "Why wouldn't he?"

With having Kenny Boynton (pictured, 14.1 ppg) and Erving Walker (14.4 ppg) returning and freshman phenom Bradley Beal and Rutgers-transfer Mike Rosario arriving, wouldn't you try to come up with some strategy that would keep all four of these players on the floor with man-child Patric Young as much as possible?

Me too!

9. Memphis

17 of 25

Can super-soph Will Barton and freshman phenom Adonis Taylor play in the same lineup?

Will Barton was one of the best freshmen wing players last year.

He averaged 12.3 ppg and 5 rpg on a extremely young and talented Tiger team.

Add another 6'6" McDonald's All-American in Adonis Taylor and you have what could be one of the best wing combos this season.

If third-year head coach Josh Pastner can figure this one out, this could be a scary team that could go very deep in the Tournament come March.

8. Louisville

18 of 25

Can Peyton Siva find his shooting touch?

As Siva moved into the primary role of running Rick Pitino's show last season, he somehow lost his outside shooting touch.

His freshmen year, the 5'11" PG shot 40 percent from beyond the arc; last year, as a sophomore, Siva shot only 27 percent from downtown.

While he is one of the best play makers in the Big East, The Cardinals need Siva to re-discover his ability to knock down three's.

7. Vanderbilt

19 of 25

Does Vandy have the heart to take the next step?

The Commodores have plenty of talent, depth and experience ... all the things that are necessary for a special season.

The question that is out there is about the Commodores' hunger and drive.

Last year, Vanderbilt was rolling along with a 20-6 record in late February, but finished by losing five of their last eight, including a first-round upset to Richmond.

Kevin Stallings needs to find the right buttons to push with this team.

They have the stuff; they just need to make sure they leave everything on the court.

6. Duke

20 of 25

How good is Mason Plumlee?

The second of three Plumlees on the Blue Devils' roster may be the key to their success in 2011-12.

Without him and others stepping up, Coach K's crew will be vulnerable to more than just the team nine miles down the road.

Mason Plumlee has the tools to be a double-double guy this season. Heck, he wasn't that far off last season when he averaged 7.1 ppg and 8.5 rpg.

My prediction is that while he may not be the second coming of Laettner, Ferry or Gminski, Plumlee2 will be very good this season.

5. Syracuse

21 of 25

Will Scoop Jardine help the Orange more than he hurts them?

Jardine is one of those kinds of players with which fans have a love/hate relationship. They have seen Scoop do some great things. And they have seen him do some lousy things.

The Orange need him to step up and lead the team, not just look for shots.

Jardine distributes the ball well, evidenced by his 5.8 apg average and his 2:1 assists/turnover ratio.

What Scoop needs to further develop is his decision-making when it comes to pulling the trigger.

If everything else stays the same and his shot selection improves, watch out, Big East and beyond!

4. Connecticut

22 of 25

Can Jeremy Lamb replace Kemba Walker as the Huskies' "go-to guy?"

It's great to have an exceptional player like Kemba Walker around. The problem is, when he leaves, there is a gaping hole to fill.

UConn head coach Jim Calhoun needs to find out where he is going to replace Walker's production that included 23.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg (second on the team) and 4.3 apg.

No, all of these stats don't need to come from one player, but UConn does need to find someone to fill the role of "go-to-guy." The player that they look to when they need a bucket. The one that they will put the ball in their hand when the game is on the line.

The most likely candidate is Jeremy Lamb. He is a capable scorer that came on strong in the Big East and NCAA tournaments.

If given that assignment, Lamb's response to it will determine a great deal for a team that may actually be more talented than last year's championship team.

But talent alone is not enough. Not for UConn or any other college hoops team.

3. Ohio State

23 of 25

Who's going to replace Diebler and Lighty's shooting from beyond the arc?

Part of what made Ohio State so good last year is that they had a great balance between interior dominance and long-range competence—meaning they could both bang and bomb.

Jared Sullinger took care of a lot of the banging. But one of the reasons he was able to operate down low is the excellent three-point shooting of OSU's perimeter players.

Two of those players, Jon Diebler and David Lighty, graduated. William Buford (pictured, shot 44 percent on three-pointers) will still be dropping them in from beyond the arc.

Who else might step into that role of long-distance shooter? Who else will help keep the floor spread?

Aaron Craft is the next best returning three-point shooter at 37.7 percent.

If head coach Thad Matta can't find other to knock down some bombs, the Buckeyes' opponents will be more likely to pack the lane and make things more difficult for Sullinger.

Now, with the passing of a season, and the arrival of a new set of elite-level recruits, the issue arises: How will a player, like Jones, who has been a featured part of the game plan, react when others might be taking some of the opportunities that he was given?

I do not know Terrence Jones. He might be the world's greatest teammate, willing to do anything for the sake of the team.

But, sometimes chemistry issues can hinder the performance of very good teams.

1. North Carolina

25 of 25

Who will play the "2" for the Tar Heels?

Four of the five starting positions are already penciled in for the preseason No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels.